Measuring-machine.



Patented Mar. 10, 19M

ATTORNEYS A. P. NIMS.

MEASURING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1910.

'lililllNlW WITNESSES on s'r r ALVIN FLAVEL NIMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK.

MEASURING-MACHINE.

insanity.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Hair. 10, 191

Application filed February 18, 1910. Serial No. 544,602.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVIN FLAVEL NIMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of J efferson and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved lVleasuring-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to measuring machines for handling concrete, concrete mix tures or other granular or like material, and for delivering the measured material to any desired receiver, and has reference more particularly to a machine of this class, in which are provided a hopper, a measuring wheel associated with the hopper, and a member movable longitudinally of the hopper, to adjust the effective length thereof or vary its proportions.

The object of the invention is to provide a measuring machine by means of which the respective portions of the mixtures can be easily regulated, and in which obstructions or bodies too large to pass through the hopper are automatically removed without injury to the machine.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a measuring machine comprising an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a compacting roller or idler.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a hopper 50, which may be of any desired length, the sides 51 being inclined from the top downward, toward each other, to an extent which leaves a space between their lower edges. The hopper is supported in any suitable manner upon a framework consisting of longitudinal beams 52, vertical supporting beams 53, and transverse posts 54.. The frame-work has supporting wheels 15. Underneath the hopper is a dumping chute 55, which is similar to the dumping chute shown in my United States Patent No. 851,554, issued April 23,

1907. I also employ agitating plates 56 simi lar to those described in the above'mentioned patent.

A m *asuring wheel 57 like the similar device disclosed in the patent above referred to, is located under the dumping chute, and above the troughing belt 58, at each side of which are the shields 59. The belt is guided by rollers 21 and 92 at the upper run, and travels over rollers 17 at the lower run.

A frame 60 consisting of sides (ii, is slidably mounted by means of the latter, upon the sides 51 of the hopper. The sides (31 may comprise boards or plates, riveted or otherwise secured together, and having the lower edges beveled to form V-shaped recesses which seat slidably upon the correspondingly formed upper edges of the hopper sides. The sides (31 also have inwardly-dis posed guide plates (S2 which engage at the edges of the hopper sides, and serve to hold the frame-work in place.

A cutoll' plate (33, constituting a partition, is secured between the sides of the frame and extends into the hopper and the dumping chute. It is formed to correspond to the crossseetional shape of the hopper and the chute, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 2, having a part extending into the chute and constituting an end cover therefor, said part being movable longitudinally of the chute as the partition is movable longitudinally of the hopper. By moving the frame longitudinally of the hopper, the effective length thereof can be adjusted at will, to regulate the amount of cement or other material which can pass through the hopper to the measuring wheel, and consequently to the conveyor belt. The entire length of the hopper or a part thereof may be employed as occasion necessitates. \Vhcre a part only of the hopper is used the plate 63 is of course available to vary the effective length of the same.

In the bottom of the dumping chute a dumping plate is provided which is pivoted on a rod 71 positioned in the bottom of the same and extending longitudinally thereof, the width of the plate 70 being substantially the same as the width of the measuring bucket of the rotating measuring wheel 57. The plate 70 is adapted to drop into the bucket when in registration with the same during the rotation of the measuring wheel 57 and thereby allows the material from the hopper to drop into the measuring bucket of the wheel 57, the action of the plate 70 being controlled by the measuring wheel, as can be seen from Fig. 2. When the cut-off plate 63 is moved to a position intermediate the buckets of the measuring wheel the dumping plate in dropping will form an end opening below the lower end of the cut-off plate 63; and to prevent the material from escaping-from this end opening an end plate 72 is placed adjacent the lowermost end of the cut-off plate 63. This end plate is at tached by means of a bolt 73 to the plate 70, whereby the end plate 7 2 will drop when the dumping plate 70 drops; and this will occur when the dumping plate registers with the measuring bucket. The part of the end plate 72 which contacts with the cut-oil plate 63 is sufficiently long to close the end opening formed when the end plate 72 falls into the measuring bucket of the measuring wheel 57. The end plate 72 serves also the purpose of preventing displacement of the cut-off plate 63 when material is delivered to the hopper against said plate. The dumping plate 70 is provided with a slot 74 into which the bolt 7 3 is fitted and in which slot the bolt may be displaced with the end plates 72 and the cut-off plate 63 when the alteration of volume is made. The dumping plate 70 and the end plate 72 constitute part of the dumping chute 55 and form a guideway for the material passing from the dumping chute to the measuring bucket of the measuring wheel 57.

I employ a cover Gel having a rearwardly disposed flange 65 slidably engaging a correspondingly formed guide flange 66 secured to one of the hopper sides 51, near the lower edge thereof. The cover 64; has the lower part outwardly disposed, and conforms in cross section to the shape of the dumping chute and the measuring wheel adjacent to which it is located. The cover is slidable longitudinally of the hopper, as is the frame 60, and prevents the material passing through the hopper from accidentally escaping at the side. The cover can also swing outwardly as the engagement of the flanges 65 and 66 is substantially pivotal. Consequently, the cover can be raised when necessary, and will automatically permit the escape of obstructions or of bodies too long to enter the measuring wheel. I prefer to have the swinging cover 64: adjustable in the direction of its length, as it frequently happens that part only of the material is of such nature that provision can be made to allow the escape of larger bodies at the side of the device. It is of advantage to leave the remaining portion of the device open at the side, for constant inspection or for other like purposes.

By means of my invention it will be noted that the material is placed upon the conveyer belt in layers of uniform thickness, the quantity of the material being regulated absolutely by the length of the layers. This regulation is elfected by lengthening or shortening, as the case may be, the effective length of the hopper, by means of the device disclosed above.

The frame-work carries a trough 16 in which the rollers 17 are mounted, and which receives the lower run of the belt conveyer 58. The trough also carries the rollers 21 and 22 mounted upon suitable brackets. At the opposite sides at the end, the trough has uprights d5 provided with recesses 46 at the upper ends, which constitute bearings for a shaft 47 loosely mounted therein. The shaft carries an idler or roller 48 which is of double conical form, tapering toward the middle and toward the extremities. The outer or end surfaces of the roller assist in shaping the conveyer belt, and holding it in position while the inner surfaces compact the material and shape it upon the belt as it passes under the roller. is so compacted there is eliminated to a large extent the danger of having quantities of material blown from the conveyer or otherwise accidentally displaced. The idler 48 really has a double function. It holds the belt down and compresses the material. It also allows the opposite end of the conveyer to be raised or lowered, without causing any change in the position of the belt with reference to the measuring machine itself.

lVhile I have shown for example,- a single cut-off plate or partition 63, two or more may be employed so that the hopper can be divided into a number of compartments. By adjusting the positions of the partitions, the proportions of the resulting mixture passing through the hopper to the conveyer belt can be easily determined. For exam ple, if the hopper is 100 inches long, and it is desired to mix sand and cement in the proportions of one part cement to three parts of sand, the partition is placed 25 inches from one end of the hopper. Into the smaller compartment the cement is introduced, and into the other the sand. The resulting mixture carried off by the belt will be in the desired proportions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent:

1. In a machine of the class described, a hopper, a measuring wheel associated with said hopper, a partition movable longitudinally of said hopper to adjust the effective length thereof, and means for guiding said partition with respect to the hopper.

2. In a machine of the class described, a hopper, a dumping chute under said hop,- per, a partition movable longitudinally of said hopper and adapted to adjust the efiective length thereof, said partition having a part extending into said dumping chute.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

When the materialhopper, a dumping chute under said hopper, a partition disposed within said hopper and movable longitudinally thereof, and means for guiding said partition longitudinally of said hopper, said partition having a part extending into said chute and conforming thereto, said part constituting an end cover for said chute.

I. In a machine of the class described, a hopper having sides, a frame having sides slidably mounted upon said sides of said hopper, said frame having a plate extending into said hopper, a dumping chute under said hopper, said plate having an extension projecting into said dumping chute, and a cover slidably and pivotally mounted upon said hopper, adjacent to said dumping chute.

5. In a machine of the class described, a hopper having sides, a frame having sides slidably mounted upon said sides of said hopper and rovided with guides movably engaging said hopper, and a plate secured to said frame and extending into said hopper, and conforming to the cross sectional shape thereof, whereby said plate forms an adjustable partition for varying the effective length of said hopper.

(3. In a machine of the class described, a hopper having sides, a frame having sides slidably mounted upon said sides of said hopper and provided with guides movably engaging said hopper, a plate secured to said frame and extending into said hopper and conforming to the cross sectional shape thereof, whereby said plate forms an adj ustable partition for varying the effective length of said hopper, and a dumping chute under said hopper, said plate having an extension projecting into said chute and conforming to the cross sectional shape of said chute, whereby said part constitutes an end cover for said chute.

7. In a machine of the class described, a hopper, a dumping chute under said hopper, a dumping plate for said chute, a partition movable longitudinally of said hopper and adapted to adjust the effective length thereof, and means associated with said dumping plate and said partition, whereby the opening formed at the end of said partition by the displacement of said dumping plate is closed.

8. In a machine of the class described, a hopper, a dumping chute under the hopper, a dumping plate in said chute, a measuring wheel associated with said chute and dumping plate, a partition movable longitudinally of said hopper to adjust the effective length thereof and normally contacting with its lowermost end with the dumping plate and thereby preventing the escape of material at said end, and adjustable means associated with said dumping plate and said partition whereby during the displacement of said plate into said measuring wheel, the end of said movable partition is kept closed by said means.

9. In a machine of the class described, a hopper, a dumping chute under the hopper, a dumping plate associated with said chute, a measuring wheel associated with said chute and dumping plate, a partition movable longitudinally of said hopper and extending to said dumping plate, and an end plate adjust-ably associated with said dumping plate and normally bearing against the side of said movable partition.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVIN FLAVEL NIMS.

WVitnesses:

J. W. JONES, C. F. PoLLooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C. 

